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People have enjoyed embellishing the written word with illustrations, doodles, and commentary for centuries. Examples have been found all over the world, showing up on stone tablets, manuscripts, books, notebooks, and scrap paper. 

One of the most beautiful examples of embellishment is the decorated initial or letter. These have been used since the 8th century to provide emphasis to a variety of works, with the initial coming from the Latin word initiālis, “the beginning of something.” 

More than elaborately decorated punctuation, these embellished initials served many purposes, such as to: guide the reader’s eye to the beginning of important passages; provide a visual aid by illustrating the scene occurring in the accompanying text; add decoration to otherwise plain works; glorify sacred texts; or provide a practical way for readers to remember where they last left off.

In this post we take you through our collections, exploring some of the examples of initials that can be found in manuscripts and books from the State Library’s collection.   

Ornamented Letters

Some of the earliest examples of decorative initials take the form of ornamented letters, commonly seen in religious texts. Over time, more attention was paid to these simple forms, and they became more luxurious and ornate, with brightly painted colours, gold, and foliage patterns. 

One of our best-known collection items is the Antiphonal, produced in the late 13th century, and it has a combination of different types of initials, with examples shown below. This seminal book of music would have been used in church services from Christmas Eve to the end of the feast of Epiphany in January. Our first pictured example is a beautifully illustrated initial, showing the foliage and gold paint that was so common in such works. Thirteen of these elaborately decorated initials can be found throughout. Elsewhere in the book, we have additional initials, which while not as richly painted, are elaborate with complex patterns within and around the initial.  

You can learn more about the Antiphonal and see more of the initials, including an example of a historiated initial described below, on our digital collections website. 

A decorative illuminated letter from the Antiphonal, page 37.

Page 37 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript shows an elaborate gold leaf design.

Page 10 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript

Page 10 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript shows an elaborate gold leaf design with a mother an child featured within the letter.

Page 25 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript

There are examples of less elaborate designs for initials within the book, such as this example of a decorative B and E shown on page 25 of the Antiphonal.

Page 21 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript

Here is another example of a less elaborate designs for initials within the book, shown on page 21 of the Antiphonal.

A decorative illuminated letter from the Antiphonal, page 37.
Page 10 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript
Page 25 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript
Page 21 of the Antiphonal illuminated manuscript

Inhabited and Figurative Letters

Inhabited letters contain animals, people, or fantastical creatures within the letter, while figurative letters are made up of contorted creatures in the form of letters.

Examples of both can be found in the Book of Kells (circa. 800AD). The State Library holds the 1990 facsimile edition of the book produced by Fine Art Facsimile Publishers of Switzerland, the first time the Book of Kells was reproduced in colour. It is a nearly identical copy of the original, right down to the holes chewed by bookworms and the signs of water damage to the pages. Each Gospel starts with a major initial, with the letters containing angels, human figures, and beasts. You can learn more about the Book of Kells from our digital copy.

A decorative letter M from the Book of Kells.

A beautifully decorative letter M from the Book of Kells.

A decorative letter P from the Book of Kells.

A beautifully decorative letter P from the Book of Kells.

A photography of a facsimilie copy of the Book of Kells.

This photograph shows each Gospel starting with a major initial which is illuminated.

This photograph features the facsimile copy of the Book of Kells which the State Library purchased in 1990. 

A photo of illuminated pages in the Book of Kells.

A beautifully illuminated page from the facsimile copy of the Book of Kells.

A decorative letter M from the Book of Kells.
A decorative letter P from the Book of Kells.
A photography of a facsimilie copy of the Book of Kells.
A photo of illuminated pages in the Book of Kells.

Historiated Letters

Like inhabited letters, historiated letters contain illustrations of humans or animals housed within the letter, except that historiated letters contain scenes directly related to the accompanying text. Historiated letters are commonly seen in early religious texts, such as Bibles and Books of Hours. This Italian book of hours, dated ca. 1375 is richly decorated, featuring Gothic text, detailed borders, and 19 thumbnail sized historiated initials. The hand-painted initials are decorated with gold. When coupled with the rich colours used for both illustrations and text, they further add to the beauty of the work. Learn more about this work here. 

The small Italian Book of Hours, prayer book.

The small Italian Book of Hours, prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
The small Italian Book of Hours, prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.
Illustration in the Italian Book Of Hours, a small prayer book.

Initials in Published Works Post-1450

By the mid-15th century, the Western world saw the introduction of moveable type printing, starting with Johannes Gutenberg’s press located in Mainz, Germany. By 1455, Johannes would produce the first printed work in Europe - the monumental Biblia Latina, known commonly as the ‘Gutenberg Bible.’

The text was printed using a typeface designed by Gutenberg to emulate the hand-written Gothic script used in many religious texts at the time. The book was complemented throughout with hand-drawn illustrations including initials and elaborate marginalia. Pictured below are two examples of initials from our facsimile reproduction of the Gutenberg Bible which was published by Pageant Books in 1961 and is based on the original volumes held at both the Koniglichen Bibliothek in Berlin and the Standischen Landesbibliothek in Fulda. 

An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.

An example of a Gutenberg initial illumination, you can see within the initial is a picture of of two priests.

An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.

This is a close up for the image featuring two priests within the initial.

An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.

An example of a Gutenberg initial illumination, you can see within the initial is a picture of a priest kneeling.

An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.

This is a close up for the image featuring a priest kneeling.

An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.
An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.
An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.
An example of the Gutenberg initial illumination.

Printing was initially limited to only one or two colours. For two colours, usually black and red, the process required each page to be printed on twice. This would involve setting and printing the black type first, with blank spaces left for the second colour, then the new type would be set and printed with the second colour. As this was an expensive and time-consuming process it quickly disappeared from hand-printed works. Any woodcut and engraved initials, illustrations and other decorative elements would also be added during the printing process – depending on the type of element, this would either be done at the same time as the rest of the typesetting or as a separate process.  

Printers would rarely decorate or bind the works, selling them unbound and wrapped in a protective paper layer. This would leave the purchaser to have the book decorated and bound to suit their tastes, commissioning illuminators, colourists, and bookbinders to complete them. Decorative elements added by these artists could include: rubrication, where red lettering and details are added to books by hand; hand-drawn initials; colouring of illustrations and printed initials; and leather bindings often decorated with gilt (a process of embossing leather with gold). These practices would start to see a decline from the mid-18th century onwards. 

An example of a rubrication by Pope Gregory I.

An example of rubrication in Pope Gregory I’s  Incipit liber dyalogorum beati Gregory ad petrū diaconum suum (approximately. 1474). A few letters also had silver added, which can be seen on the ‘M.’ 

An example of a guided letter in Bernardino.

Guide letters would often by used to indicate where hand-drawn initials should be placed by illuminators. When printing, a large blank space containing a tiny guide letter would be set by the printer. An example can be seen in the second example below from Bernardino’s ‘Quadragesimale de christiana religion’ printed pre-1490. The letter is hand drawn, with the guide letter visible underneath. This is also an example of a puzzle initial, where the red and blue colours of the letter are separated with white to form elaborate patterns within the letter. 

An example of a decorative woodcut featuring the letters A and E, in Eusebius.

The use of decorative woodcut letters was also common. Many of these had a “floriated” style, using representations of flowers and vines to outline and weave around and through the initial, such as our final example found in Eusebii Caesariensis Episcopi Chronicon : id est temporvm breviarvm incipit foeliciter... (1483).

An example of a guided letter in the Pliny.

Another guide letter can be seen much more clearly in our third example, this one from Pliny the Elder’s Caii Plynii Secundi Naturalis hystoriae (1480). A tiny printed lower case “l” can be seen in the middle of a large blank square and a rather simple capital “L” in blue hand drawn in the space.  

An example of a rubrication by Pope Gregory I.
An example of a guided letter in Bernardino.
An example of a decorative woodcut featuring the letters A and E, in Eusebius.
An example of a guided letter in the Pliny.

Books as Art (the Private Press Movement)

The late nineteenth century saw the rise of the English Arts and Crafts Movement, and the development of private presses. Both encouraged the “celebration of craftmanship” during the rise of the industrial age. Private presses began to produce limited run books which combined custom-designed typefaces and decorations, commissioned artwork, and beautiful bindings, to create books that were also visually cohesive and beautiful objects. Books produced by William Morris’ Kelmscott Press and the Golden Cockerel Press serve as wonderful examples of this vision. 

In the examples below we see some initials from the Kelmscott Press’ monumental work, The works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1896). The designer, craftsman, poet, and socialist William Morris believed that the world should be beautiful and designed all manner of objects including wallpaper, furniture, and books to fulfil his vision. The Kelmscott Chaucer was his final masterpiece and has often been referred to as one of the most beautiful books in existence. The book took four years to produce and featured 87 woodcuts by the painter Edward Burne-Jones, a long-time friend of Morris. Only 438 books were produced, 425 copies on handmade paper, and another 13 printed on vellum. 

The State Library is fortunate to hold an original of the Kelmscott Chaucer, and a copy of the 1975 Basilisk Press facsimile. 

An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.

An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.

A decorative O in a Kelmscott Press print version of Chaucer.

This image features a decorative O.

An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.

An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.

A decorative W in a Kelmscott Press print version of Chaucer.

This image features a decorative W.

An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.
A decorative O in a Kelmscott Press print version of Chaucer.
An example of a page within Chaucer featuring William Morris illustrations via the Kelmscott Press.
A decorative W in a Kelmscott Press print version of Chaucer.

Our last example is another private press production, The four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Authorized version of King James I. With decorations by Eric Gill. Eric Gill was a printmaker, type designer, and stone carver, who wanted to combine craftsmanship with the sense of purpose he found in religious communities. He was influenced by the English Arts and Crafts Movement and William Morris. The Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ is minimalist and modern in appearance however, in stark contrast to Morris’ more elaborate productions. The Gospels, printed by the Golden Cockerel Press in 1931, features handset type, handmade paper, and woodcut engravings. The woodcuts are used in a similar manner as historiated initials, with the illustrations relating directly to the text. 

An example of an illustration with the work AND by Eric Gill.

An example of an illustration with the word AND by Eric Gill.

An example of an illustration with the word AND by Eric Gill.

The whole page that features the illustration with the word AND by Eric Gill.

An example of an illustration with an A by Eric Gill.

An example of an illustration with an A by Eric Gill.

An example of an illustration with the work AND by Eric Gill.
An example of an illustration with the word AND by Eric Gill.
An example of an illustration with an A by Eric Gill.

Modern works have mostly left behind the art of the initial. As books became more commonplace and accessible, such elaborate methods of drawing attention to sections or to provide aids to memory while reading seemed no longer necessary. 

And so, we reach the end of our exploration of some of the initials that can be found in the State Library collections. You can see more of our digitised illuminated works by searching “illumination” in the State Library Digital Collections or catalogue.

Written by Marie Larsen, Collection Maintenance Officer - Library Technician

More to explore

William Morris, May Morris (2012). “The Collected Works of William Morris: With Introductions by His Daughter May Morris”, p.111, Cambridge University Press

The Decorated Letter (2008) The Decorated Letter (Getty Center exhibitions). Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/decorated_letter/  (Accessed: 19 April 2024). 

Initials: In the beginning... (2011) Initials: In the Beginning..., University of Otago, New Zealand. Available at: https://www.otago.ac.nz/library/exhibitions/initials/index.html (Accessed: 19 April 2024). 

The Kelmscott Chaucer (no date) Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. Available at: https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/collections/kelmscott-chaucer (Accessed: 19 April 2024). 

Eric Gill and the Golden Cockerel Press (no date) Research Guides at Library of Congress. Available at: https://guides.loc.gov/medievalism/gill (Accessed: 19 April 2024). 

Raven, J. (2020) The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Pearson, D. (2008) Books as History: The importance of books beyond their texts. London: British Library. 

Lyons, M. (2011) Books: A living history. London: Thames and Hudson.